Form for concrete footing



- Feb. 17, 1942 J. M. HIGHTOWER 2,273,109

FORM FOR CONCRETE FOOTING Filed Feb. 27, 1939 JOSEPH M HIGH 70WEEPatented Feb. 17, 1942 FORM FOR; CONCRETE FOOTING Joseph M. Hightower,Houston, Tex, assignor to M. G. Shutte, Harris County, Tex.

Application February 27, 1939, Serial N 0. 258,720

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a form.

An object of the invention is to provide a form particularly designedfor molding concretious material such as foundation pillars and the likeand which may be readily released and withdrawn when the concrete isset.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of the characterdescribed with upright side Walls formed of flexible material, arrangedto enclose the concretious material and give the desired shape to thepillar and whose adjacent margins are releasably secured together.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in combination withthe form, a reversible gauge whereby the level for the plastic materialpoured into the form may be readily indicated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, arrangement of partsand use, an example of which is given in this specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the form.

Figure 2 shows a horizontal, sectional View taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 shows an elevational view of one of the side Walls.

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing the formempty, and

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing the formfilled to the desired level with the concretious material to be molded.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference desigmate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeralsdesignate the side walls of the form. As illustrated, the form isrectangular in horixontal crosssection although it may be of any otherselected contour. The side walls are formed of flexible material,sheet-like in form, preferably steel. The side walls may be of anyselected height depending on the depth of the foundation to be erected.The margins of each wall plate are formed with vertically aligned,sleeve-like bearings 2.- The bearings of adjacent margins of the wallplates are staggered so that they will interfit, as illustrated inFigure 1, to provide a substantially continuous vertical bearing at eachcorner to receive the interlocking rods, or tie rods 3. These rods areformed with suitable eyes, or other grips, as 4, at their upper ends.The lower ends of the rods preferably, though not necessarily, extendbeneath the lower ends of the plates. the plates are provided withsuitable grips as 5.

The upper ends of In use the excavation for the pillar may be made tothe required depth and a footing of concretious material formed at thebottom of the excavation and the assembled form may be supported on saidfooting with the lower ends of the rods 3 penetrating into the materialof the footing to maintain the form in upright position. The excavationaround the form may then be filled with earth and the concretiousmaterial, of which the pillar is to be formed, then poured into theform, in plastic state to the desired level. The pressure of the plasticmaterial against the side walls will cause them to curve outwardly fromtop to bottom, or assume an arcuate shape, in horizontal cross-section,as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. When the concrete has set therods 3 may be withdrawn and the side margins of th wall plates I willspring outwardly, due to the flexibility of said plates and thus releasethemselves from the pillars and leave a clearance so that the wallplates may be pulled upwardly and thus recovered for reuse.

Prior to the insertion of the lower ends of the rods 3 into the footingsaid lower ends are covered with a suitable lubricant so that they maybe readily pulled from the footing even after the material of thefooting has set and the inner sides of the wall plates are covered witha suitable lubricating substance to prevent them from adhering to thematerial of the pillar when said material sets.

For the purpose of easily determining the level to which the concrete isto be poured into the form a gauge strip as 6 is provided. This striphas a hook on its upper end engageable over the upper margin of a wallplate. The level of the desired plane to which the pillars are to risemay be marked on the outer side of the form and a gauge strip of therequired length may be hung from the upper end of a side wall, asindicated in Figure 4, with its lower end reaching to the desired level.Of course, a gauge ,strip of the exact desired length should beselected. The gauge strip may then be reversed,

from end to end by the force exerted outwardly by the hydrostaticpressure of fluid concrete in th form, means connecting said adjacentmargins, said connecting means being completely removable to completelyrelease said margins to permit them to simultaneously move outwardly,said sections having sufficient strength to cause said margins to moveoutwardly when the connecting means is removed.

JOSEPH M. HIGHTOWER.

